They don’t know what they’re missing S

S a journalist there are several kinds of story I try to avoid like the plague – generally anything to do with education and health.

The reason? They are professions which are riddled with incomprehensible jargon.

Now the Plain English Campaign is attempting to cut the gobbledygook which has spread like wildfire through the NHS.

A single example gives a flavour – anyone heard of the ambulatory patient pathway? In plain English it means the patient can go home after being seen in hospital.

Its spokesman, Steve Jenner, says the health service is unable to explain anything from the closure of hospital services to major incidents without using jargon.

Few things can be more important than our health but he even thinks the NHS may be doing this on purpose.

His rationale is that impenetrable language baffles the public and this can suit the NHS on occasion.

As he told the BBC: “We expect doctors to clearly explain themselves. It should be the same for the NHS management.” HAKESPEARE’S plays may be performed and enjoyed the world over but it seems they are not everyone’s tastes. On Tuesday The Times ran a report about how South Africa may be set to drop The Bard from its school curriculum in a bid to “decolonise” the syllabus and encourage teaching of more African writers.

Someone called Tshepo Motsepe from Equal Education shared their approval of the idea to remove the works from the curriculum. “In our previous teaching and learning summit held in July 2016, we drafted an education charter which called for a review of the curriculum. “We recognised the current curriculum as reinforcing colonial teaching and learning while neglecting African literature in particular when looking at what is being taught in our schools. “This also applies to the history curriculum. South African and African history has taken a back seat and our learners are not taught the rich history we have as a nation.” A spokesman for the opposition in South Africa was not impressed though, saying teaching literature without Shakespeare was “like studying physics without Isaac Newton or political

The Merchant of Venice explores the fate of persecuted minorities, in this case Shylock the Jew

philosophy without Karl Marx”.

My first thought was: “more fool them!” If they want to miss out on the glorious riches of one of the world’s finest writers under the guise of bogus ‘right-on-ness’ then, that, as the lawyers say, is a matter for them.

My next thought was that at least one of Shakespeare’s most famous plays, The Merchant of Venice, explores the fate of persecuted minorities, in this case Shylock the Jew. Surely, the reverse is true. What better place to start than an exploration of the treatment of ethnic minorities in 16th century England?

And the brilliant “Hath not a Jew eyes?” Shylock speech is a brilliant riposte to racists and anti-Semites everywhere.

And who would want to miss out on Portia’s thrilling speech which starts: “The quality of mercy is not strain’d, It droppeth as the gentle rain from heaven.”